France, Loire Valley, 14th century / c. 1385–90
Virgin and Child
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Virgin and Child as sculpture (France, Loire Valley, 14th century · c. 1385–90).
This sculpture was painted over many times over its history, common for medieval sculpture.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as limestone with traces of polychromy.
The museum's collection notes: The vibrant naturalism of the Virgin’s face and long flowing hair, as well as the deep, rich folds of drapery are characteristic of the work of itinerant artists from the Netherlands who found employment at the Valois courts of France at Paris, Berry, and Burgundy. Their native styles and attention to realistic detail fused with native French artistic traditions toward the end of the 14th century and took root. The original source of this Virgin and Child is unknown, but its style suggests a relationship with similar sculptures made for churches and abbeys of the Central Loire Valley. The additional influence of the style of the sculptor Andr
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